Life

SpaceX rocket to carry inflatable habitat

Reuters – SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to launch on Friday (April 08), carrying a cargo ship that will take an experimental inflatable habitat to the International Space Station (ISS). The privately owned SpaceX, which is owned by Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk, has partnered with NASA to launch resupply missions to the ISS. The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to launch off of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying with it the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module […]

Rare Shakespeare First Folio found on Scottish island

OXFORD, ENGLAND, United Kingdom(Reuters) – A nearly 400-year-old copy of a first edition of William Shakespeare’s collected plays has been found in a vast aristocratic house on the Isle of Bute, off the western coast of Scotland. Published in 1623, the First Folio contains Shakespeare’s 36 plays, including several that had never been published before and might have been lost without it, such as “Macbeth”, “The Tempest” and “As You Like It”. The discovery at […]

2016, possibly the hottest year

QUEZON City, Philippines – According to the PAGASA, the year 2016 can possibly considered as the hottest year in history, with an average temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. (Eagle News Service Described by Jay Paul Carlos, Video Editing by Dexter Magno, Uploaded by Lovely Ann Cruz) https://youtu.be/UO9S6RGIkYU

Boat Responsibly: Satellite Devices Track Fishing Boats in the Philippines

Mindoro – Our boat fights the fury of Amihan, the northeast monsoon. I’m just fighting to keep my dinner down. It’s night and we’re on the Princess Camile, a tuna vessel going head-to-head with angry six-foot waves. I gaze out at the darkness. I have no idea where we are – but a little gadget attached to our boat mast does. To track the routes of fishing boats in the Mindoro Strait, WWF and NAVAMA have […]

GM adenovirus used by doctors to attack tumor cells

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) – Researchers in Argentina say they have genetically modified an adenovirus – which can cause colds, conjunctivitis and bronchitis – to home in on cancer, killing tumor cells in patients without harming healthy tissue. Scientists have long been intrigued by the idea of using viruses to alert the immune system to seek and destroy cancerous cells. That interest has taken off in recent years as advances in genetic engineering allow them […]

Recent discoveries of Mayan artifacts give archaeologists a glimpse into ancient daily life

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) – Archaeologists said on Tuesday (April 5) they expect 180 artifacts unearthed from 14 sites near an ancient Mayan city known as T’hó, located in the Yucatan state capital of Merida, will shed light on pre-Hispanic life in southern Mexico. During a news conference held at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, archaeologists said the 14 peripheral sites are part of 223 sites located close to T’hó. Four of […]

Chinese emperor’s seal sells for $11.8 million in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, China (Reuters) – The largest imperial seal used by Chinese emperor Kangxi went under the hammer in Hong Kong on Wednesday (April 6) and fetched $11.8 million. Sotheby’s said an Asian buyer won the bid and that it set the third highest price for any Chinese imperial seal sold at an auction. It added that the price also set a world auction record for a seal carved for Emperor Kangxi, who ruled China […]

Diabetes cases reach 422 million as poorer countries see steep rises

Reuters – The number of adults with diabetes has quadrupled worldwide in under four decades to 422 million, and the condition is fast becoming a major problem in poorer countries, a World Health Organization study released on Wednesday (April 6) showed. In one of the largest studies to date of diabetes trends, the researchers said ageing populations and rising levels of obesity across the world mean diabetes is becoming “a defining issue for global public […]

Broken hearts at higher risk of failing: study

PARIS, France (AFP) — The death of a life partner may trigger an irregular heartbeat, itself potentially life-threatening, said new research Wednesday into the risk of dying from a broken heart. A trawl of data on nearly a million Danes showed an elevated risk, lasting about a year, of developing a heart flutter. Under-60’s whose partners died unexpectedly were most in peril. The risk was highest “8-14 days after the loss, after which it gradually […]

Sea lion rescued from restaurant released back to wild

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, United States (Reuters) – A young California sea lion found malnourished and injured inside a waterfront San Diego restaurant was returned to the wild on Tuesday (April 5) after eight weeks of rehabilitative care at SeaWorld’s animal rescue center. The female sea lion pup, nicknamed Marina, made headlines when she was discovered huddled in a choice booth at the Marine Room, a white-tablecloth eatery known for its gourmet seafood menu. She was […]

Pistols given to Bolivar by Lafayette to go up for auction

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) – An important set of pistols that was gifted to Simón Bolívar from the Marquis de La-fayette is expected to fetch between $1.5 to 2.5 million (USD) when it goes on sale at Christie’s in New York. Christie’s specialist Becky MacGuire, said the lot is exquisite and so important because of its history. “We’re very excited to have these pistols they are such a rare treasure. They […]

FDA staff raises no major concerns over Intercept’s liver drug

BY AMRUTHA PENUMUDI The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s staff reviewers did not raise any major red flags over Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc’s liver drug on Tuesday, sending the stock up as much as 19 percent. The drug, obeticholic acid (OCA), is being reviewed for use in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, a rare liver disease resulting from an autoimmune destruction of the bile ducts. Several analysts said the documents released by the staff leaned towards […]